


You are the Best Thing that's Ever Been Mine

by Abby_nikki1124



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Anne Shirley, Aged-Up Gilbert Blythe, Alternate Universe, Anne Shirley Realizes Feelings For Gilbert Blythe, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Engaged Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, F/M, Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley Use Their Words, Gilbert Blythe has Heart Eyes, Gilbert Blythe is Whipped, Modern Era, Romantic Fluff, a small arguement, anne shirley deals with her past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25791622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abby_nikki1124/pseuds/Abby_nikki1124
Summary: “ And you are not fond of those happy endings?”  He’s still standing but he leans against the window by her and crosses his arms, looking at her intently.“Tragic endings can be that much more significant, in my opinion.” She exclaims and takes a sip of her latte shrugging up at him.Inspired by the song Mine by Taylor Swift.Anne and Gilbert are college student bumping into each other at the same places, Anne is scared of love. Gilbert wants her to give him a chance to show that love is not as it seems to be.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 84





	You are the Best Thing that's Ever Been Mine

_Early Autumn_

The street lights are starting to turn on, the lights shining on the wet pavements from the rain, her hands gripped to a stack of books close to her chest. Careful not to get them wet or drop them, knowing how much of a klutz she is. She knows one wrong step or distraction from the way that the bright red and yellow leaves clung to the branches will end in disaster. She knows how much of her imagination can influence and impact those daily thoughts rummaging in her head, she will not let another ruin her chances of getting safely to her destination. The little shop about four blocks away from campus, the only cafe that makes her feel like she’s back at her own little home, back at the small town of Avonlea. The city of Toronto had become her new home for the past year and a half. As lovely as it has been, she still craves the sounds of trees rustling and her mother screaming to wake up to help with the horses. Anne Shirley Cuthbert is a farm loving, nature enthusiast through and through. So, when she finally had gotten news that she had just gotten a full ride scholarship for the university of Toronto to study literature, it had become a new step in a direction she wasn’t quite sure she was ready for. Yet, here she is, top of her class and with a new set of books in her hand, getting a head start on her assignments.

The door on the bell chimes as she makes her way in. The cafe is warm and full of light, it smells like cake batter and coffee, it’s not crowded as she suspected it wouldn't be, and her little booth in between the two windows is empty. She settles into her seat taking off her forest green rain coat and her bag right next to her. The books now laid flat out in front of her, ready to be read and marked with highlight and blue ink. The sounds of the coffee machines and light conversations between couples or children asking parents for a piece of cake fill her senses. She doesn’t know how long she has been reading until she gets interrupted by a young man’s voice.

“Would you like to order anything, miss?” She looks up to see hazel curious eyes looking at her, he looks around her age maybe about a year older; his curly hair looks as if he had been running his hands through them and he’s in a pair of black jeans with an apron wrapped around his waist and a cream sweater.

“Oh, I’ll take a lavender vanilla Chai and a banana bread please.” Anne answers back, smiling. She’s never seen him here before, maybe he’s new she thought. 

“Coming right up.” The hazel eyed boy smiles back at her and goes to the back where the rows of baked goods were. Twenty minutes later, with one book finally fully annotated and plastered notes across the tables. The boy comes back with her drink and a warmed up banana bread.

“Here you go, miss” Placing the latte and plate of goods on the table and he sees the multiple scribbles on the stacks of papers, the colored highlighters and blue pens uncapped and placed on top of an open book. That was right next to other books with titles he was familiar with; His curiosity got the best of him and he couldn’t help but ask, “So Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Jane Eyre and Frankenstein. Either you are an avid book lover of 19th century women or you are a literature major.” He questions the auburn haired girl in front of him, he admits she’s beautiful with her freckles, bright blue eyes, her cheeks tinted pink and her hair, the red contrasting her milky skin and the small pieces falling out of her bun. She really is gorgeous. 

“That would be both, I happen to be very fond of 19th century women literature they were ahead of the century, did you know that? How cruel it was for a woman to have a mind of their own and not have marriage as a priority. That’s the reason why many of the books had the main character marry at the end of the novels. If not, they simply wouldn’t sell unless of course you killed them off. They had to have a happy ending.” Anne exclaims, her eyes bright and full of light as she talks about her love for literature.

“ And you are not fond of those happy endings?” He’s still standing but he leans against the window by her and crosses his arms, looking at her intently.

“Tragic endings can be that much more significant, in my opinion.” She exclaims and takes a sip of her latte shrugging up at him.

“ I suppose so, I took a couple classes on literature and I personally think your take on 19th century novelists is very captivating.” Anne blushes and tries to hide it, taking another sip of her drink hoping the mug can cover her face, though she doubts it.

“You know your literature but something tells me you are not the type to major in it? So what is it? Science? Business? Or is it something way off, like anthropology?” Anne tries to guess and she can see him grinning at her, he looked adorable.

“You were close when you mentioned science, I’m pre-med. Second year at U of T.” The young man proudly says. 

“I go to U of T, first year and a doctor huh? Well it does suit you. I’m Anne by the way, Anne with an E. She extends her hand out for him to shake.

“ Gilbert” He shakes her hand and for a moment just a moment. Anne feels warmth fill her up and a stir in her stomach. They don’t part until they hear the sound of the bell from the door signaling another customer.

“I should get back to work, maybe I’ll see you around sometime. It was nice meeting you Anne with an E.” Gilbert clears his throat and pats his hands on his apron, looking at her getting her things together placing cash on the table.

“It was nice meeting you Gilbert, and maybe you’ll see me. I’m always either here or the library, I should get going though. I have a paper to finish but I’ll see you around.” She looks at Gilbert once more and waves bye heading out the door. 

Anne does come around the cafe more, she always finds her usual spot between the two windows and Gilbert always gets her usual order, lavender vanilla chai and a warmed up banana bread. He starts to notice how her cheeks would become flushed when she was frustrated. Or how she bites her lip when she concentrates and tries to remember something whenever she would talk to him about her classes or assignments. Anne would come around the cafe as much as she could and part of her knew she wanted to be there because of the chances to get to see Gilbert. She liked talking to him, he understood her in ways she didn't think people would. Anne started to notice small habits he would perform, running his hands through his hair when he was tired no doubt from the late night studying, how he would always roll up his sleeves and how his eyebrows would go inward whenever he was confused.

Their conversations at the cafe slowly started to turn into run ins on campus when they had a gap period in between classes. These run-ins soon became exchanging numbers and their work and class schedules; waiting for each other after class, walking to the cafe while Gilbert was heading to his shift and Anne wanting to sit in her usual nook with treats to snack on. Anne found herself wanting to wait until his shift ended to be able to get to talk with Gilbert more. She wanted to spend more time with him and she wasn’t sure if those times when he would nudge her or lightly graze her hand when they would walk side by side was supposed to make her feel like a fire igniting her. 

“Hey Anne- girl are we going to study after my shift or are you planning on going home early today?” Gilbert asks, he’s holding a tray full of empty dishes waiting for her response. Anne had to take a second after hearing him call her Anne-girl, he started calling her that after they kept randomly bumping into each other on campus. 

“Well, I have a test coming up for my 19th century lit and you recall all those annotations meaning I need someone to quiz me. So yes, it’s a study day.” Anne responds to him, looking up to him after she finally highlighted a quote on her reading of the day.

“Sounds like a plan, so where will it be? Library, yours or mine this time?” He questions, and gathers the empty plates on the table right next to hers and piling them on the tray. 

“Yours, we studied at mine last week. Now get back to work before you get in trouble.”Anne exclaims pointing her highlighter at him. Gilbert laughs and waves his hand signaling he’s going to get back to work. 

Two hours later, the sun had set and the street lights were lit and Gilbert had just finished his shift. Putting on his jacket and scarf, he walks out from the back signaling to Anne he’s ready. She gathers her books, pens and notebooks shoving them in the bag and wraps her cream scarf around her,and both head out the door. Gilbert’s apartment is small and cozy, it reminds her of him in many ways. While Anne’s is decorated with plants, candles, and fairy lights, Gilbert’s is more simple with blankets on the couch, crayola pictures hung on the fridge from his niece and lots of medical books scattered on the coffee table. 

“Pizza?” Gilbert motions with his phone. 

“Gil do you really have to ask? It’s pizza and it’s me but yes,the usual please.” She tells him and goes to drop her bags by the coffee table and settles into the dark grey couch and snuggles into the blankets. 

“Sorry, I was just making sure, you tend to make up your mind on whether you’re hungry or not. Last time you didn’t want anything from the sandwich shop and then when I got my food you went straight for my french fries. When I specifically asked if you wanted anything to eat.” He exaggerates and sits facing himself towards her, his arm resting on the top of the cushions. 

“But you didn’t complain when I took them, did you? So too bad, so sad.” Anne crosses her arms and sticks her tongue at him like she was a small child again. 

“No I didn’t, because how could I say no to you. You looked adorable also you would have smacked me across with another book if I took them away from you. This face can’t look good if you keep on smacking me every time.” He teases and smirks at her, her face falls and she gives him the stink eye.

“Shut up, that was one time. You were the one that snuck up on me and tugged on my braid. What the hell was I supposed to do? not react. I saw my moment so I took it. I didn’t expect to hit your pretty face. I'm sorry.” Anne explains, her hands going like wildfire as she talks about the moment where it broke the ice between the two. 

“So you think I’m pretty?” Gilbert teases Anne.

“Gil, that’s really all you heard?”She plasters an annoyed face.

“ Anne-girl, you just admitted you find me attractive, I’m sorry.” Gilbert keeps egging her on.

“ Well, looks like I’m going. I have officially lost you to your big ego. Bye thanks it was a lot of fun. Enjoy your pizza.” Anne gets up acting as serious as she can, about to act as if she was going to leave. There’s no way in hell she is leaving without getting her free pizza, but he doesn’t need to know that. 

“Oh no you dont.” Gilbert grabs her hand and pulls her back down to the couch and she lands on his lap, him wrapping his arms around her waist and her struggling trying to get out of his grip. But failing miserably, both laughing until their stomach hurts looking up at one another. Their laughter died down and it felt like all the tension in the room had suddenly become apparent, Gilbert looking at her with his hazel eyes going back and forth between her lips and her eyes. Anne’s heart racing, taking a gulp of air that she so desperately needs. He starts to lean down slowly, and her eyes start to flutter closed. Their lips are about to touch. Until the doorbell rings and both are jumping apart from one another. 

“I’ll go get the pizza.” Gilbert says.

It’s an awkward silence and Anne doesn’t know what to feel or think. She almost kissed Gilbert, Gilbert almost kissed her. What if they did kiss? What if she liked it and wanted more and he didn’t or he did? Those thoughts kept running through her head.

“Let’s start studying, I really need to make sure I understand these books by Monday.” She tells him, trying to divert his attention to the elephant in the room. She’s not ready to talk about that right now. 

“Anne, can we talk about it?” Gilbert tries to get her attention, grabbing the book from her. 

“Can we study first? Please Gil.” She pleads him, her eyes worried and clouded. He dropped the topic right away. 

An hour into studying, Gilbert and Anne were quizzing each other on their assignments and talking about anything that doesn’t revolve around that topic as much as they could. Anne was holding his index cards and he was holding hers, both taking turns asking questions to one another. 

“Why don’t you think books should have happy endings?” Gilbert wonders and asks Anne who is now sitting at the corner of the couch, wrapped in blankets. She looks adorable and he wants nothing but to hold her.

“That’s not a question on the index cards?” She responds,looking up at him.

“But, why? I'm just curious come on Anne” Gilbert pleads. 

“Well, it’s not that I am opposed to having happy endings. I think it’s beautiful and that romance and books are just that, in books. I’m a literature major so you would think I’m a hopeless romantic and in some ways I am. I’m in love with the idea of love, I don’t think I've actually been in love though. I have had previous boyfriends but it wasn’t what I expected it to be. They left, they always leave. Love, it never lasts. The people I get close to somehow find some way to not be in my life anymore. You remember how I said I was in foster care; well I grew up always being thrown out to different families, not knowing what it is to be cared for and genuinely loved. No one wanted me.” She whispers and she can feel her throat constricting her, wanting that gnawing pain to escape her. But she continues.

“ All my life I was being thrown around like if I was the mismatched sock left at the back of the drawer. Love scares me because what if I mess up? What if that person decided they don’t want me or fall out of love with me? I was lucky I was adopted and got out of the system, Marilla and Matthew are my pride and joy. Then Avonlea became my home, they took me in even when they first thought I was going to be a boy. So if I have to be the bride of adventure to not get my heart broken any more, then so be it.” Anne finally finished explaining her story, to this boy she only met months ago. But she felt connected to him like she knew him more than a couple months, it felt like years. She didn’t know tears were falling until she felt him, wipe them away.

“Anne, you don’t have to explain any more. I know how it feels to lose people that you wished could have stayed, that you could have saved. Don’t feel like it’s wrong to feel those things. But I am telling you this, I like you a lot and I don’t want to pressure you or make you feel like you need to say anything back. But if you feel something, anything I need to know. Let me show you love is not always going to end in ashes and rubble. Please give me a chance. We can go slow, I can wait. But I want you to know I will do everything I can to not repeat the pattern of a possible tragic romance. Please.” Gilbert whispers pleading, cupping her face and looking into her blue teary eyes. Pieces of hair falling in her face.

“ Okay.” Anne says quietly, staring right back at him, Gilbert kisses her forehead and both snuggle into one another lying on the couch. Index cards on the ground, pizza box laid on the ground, books on the coffee table and for the first time Anne can see the future ahead of her. 

_Late Autumn_

So, Gilbert does. He tries to prove to her that feelings are not always scary, how people will not always leave or walk out of her life, out of nowhere. They have been taking it slow, no kissing just a small display of affections here and there. Holding hands, spending more and more time at each other's apartment, talking into the late nights on the phone, studying and of course hanging around the cafe. It became a routine, her waiting for his shift to end, to then go buy their usual pizza order and watch Disney films or Pride and Prejudice. It was Anne who loved to watch them but Gilbert never minded, at this point he was pretty sure he knew all the words to Princess and the Frog. 

Gilbert would also surprise her with trips after she had just gotten out of class, taking her to drive- in movies, picnics in the parks, bowling, and his favorite, karaoke nights with their friends. They both grew up in Avonlea yet, they had not once crossed each other paths when he was out going on adventures trying to leave the small town, she would be exploring all of Avonlea’s treasures with her friends. What they didn’t know was most of the friends she had grown up with, also knew some of his friends. The more their friends and them hung out, the more their friends knew there was something happening between the two but never really understood why it never became something more. They saw the times when both looked at each other as if they were the only ones in the room and they felt the tension build, but Anne would always change the topic whenever it came up about the two.

Anne had a habit of running at every encounter she could when it came to anything close to kissing Gilbert; she wasn’t ready, she was still scared. She never understood why Gilbert was still with her, trying to convince her. But the more he takes her out, talks with her, brings her favorite latte when she’s feeling down, the more she starts to feel the feelings inside turn from admiration to love. It makes her terrified but at the same time can't stop picturing a future with him, if he was hers and she was his. She knew she would have to be able to act on her feelings and give it a chance and be all in or all out. She would have to let him through her walls and she was going to let him in. 

_Winter_

The porch lights are lit among the small snowbanks, the small ponds and lakes frozen over. The sounds of laughter are echoing in the night air, it’s Christmas. Anne is at Gilbert’s house with both of their families chatting among one another. When Gilbert had dropped off Anne at her humble home, Green Gables. He finally had gotten to meet Marilla and Matthew, both of whom were more than welcoming. He would come over almost every day and the siblings were fond of him. Marilla knew his father and Gilbert reminded her of him. She was happy for Anne to have someone like Gilbert even if they were walking on shells around one another when it came to their feelings.

The two had spent so much time with one another, that their families had become well acquainted and decided to spend Christmas day together. Which led to now, Both families in the Blythe-lacroix household, Gilbert’s brother Sebastian, and his niece Delphine. Whom Anne had heard a lot about from the many times Gilbert would receive his niece’s crayola drawings or friendship bracelets back at Toronto. 

“ Oi, Blythe why didn’t you bring Anne around earlier? She’s a toddler whisperer.” Bash exclaims to Gilbert pointing to Anne who is sitting on the couch reading a book to little Delphine. 

“I’m not trying to scare her off, that's why, what was I supposed to do? Just be like “Hey, I like you, want to meet my niece and brother?” That makes me sound crazy.” He explains to his brother,grabbing the food to set on the table.

“ Wait! Wait! I need a minute. I was right, you like Anne. Or do you love her?” Bash questions Gilbert , nudging him. Helping him set the plates.

“ Shut up idiot. She can hear you. She knows I like her, not the love part per say. We’re taking things slow.” Gilbert is now opposite of the table, looking at Anne. 

“ Oh my God! Blythe you dumbass. I think now it’s time to finally make the move and tell her. Do you not see the way she looks at you, how she laughs at your stupid jokes that are not even funny. She is waiting for you to make a move.” He exaggerates running his hands over his face. 

“Okay, calm down. I’m going to tell her.. Soon.” Gilbert whispers,hoping Bash wouldn’t say anything.

“Nope, you will not chicken out now. You will go now, Gilbert John Blythe and ask her on a walk.” Bash pushes him towards Anne, calling out to Delphine to come and help her papa. Anne looks at the two confused, Gilbert is blushing and runs his hand through his hair.

“Anne do you want to take a walk?” Gilbert asks Anne, he’s rocking on his heels back and forth. Hands in his pockets.

“I would love to Gil.” She answers getting up the couch following him out the door, grabbing her blue coat and cream scarf.

The two walk through the fields and find themselves by a small pond frozen over. It is not like the lake Anne likes to call, “The lake of shining waters.” But it is just as beautiful, with the reflection of the trees and the last of the sun set hitting the lines above the horizon. Small snowflakes stick on their coats, Gilbert’s hair contrasting with the white snow and her nose stained red and her blue eyes prominent against her scarf. The two close as they walk around the pond, listening to one another about their classes coming up and the Christmas presents they got their family. 

“ I hope you like your present. It took me a while to try to figure it out, but I think you will enjoy it.” Anne stops and turns to look at Gilbert, he’s giving her that look again. The one where his hazel eyes go soft and it makes her heart rate speed up. Like he can see her, all her flaws, her passions, the real her.

“ I’m sure I will Anne-girl. Anything from you I will always love, you know that.” He takes out a snowflake from her hair, and pushes her hair behind her ear. He thinks she’s gorgeous, the way her hair looks like fire, the freckles looking like all the wishes he dreamed of, her pink lips she bites when she’s nervous like she is doing right now and how she smells of vanilla and raspberries. He is in love with her.

“Gil, you only say that because-” She takes a breath, looking down at her boots.

“Because I’m in love with you.” Gilbert admits and it feels like the air got knocked out of him once he sees her teary eyes look up at him. He grabs her hands and strokes his thumb back and forth on the back of her palm.

“You're in love with me?” Anne questions, sniffling and tears start to pour, eyes wide.

“ I am in love with you Anne Shirley Cuthbert and I know I said we can take things slow but, I can’t help but feel more. I want to be able to kiss you when I can, to make you happy, to- umph”

He gets cut off by her pulling him down and kissing him. He’s shocked at first but soon catches up and both melt into each other. Kissing one another like he was hers and she was his. Breaking apart, giving her a peck one more time and wrapping his arms around her. For the first time she saw them and all that they could be.

_Spring Three Years Later_

“Hey, Gil can you get my white heels from the closet, the one I wore the other night.” Anne called out as she was getting into her emerald green backless dress, the dress held together with thin straps and the front in a modest v shape, hitting right at her mid-thigh. Today was finally the day she was graduating. 

“Are you talking about these?” Gilbert came in as she was clasping the back of her earrings, one of the gifts from Gil on their second anniversary. 

“Whoa, Anne-girl you look, I mean you are..” Gilbert was speechless, not like it was the first time. She’s beautiful and he doesn’t know how he was ever able to have the privilege to be with her.

“Nice, exquisite, beautiful, magnificent, I think you need to polish up on your synonyms honey. And thank you.” She goes towards him wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a quick kiss. 

“ No, I can think of a lot of things but I don’t think I should say them out loud.” Gilbert brings her in closer by her waist, planting soft kisses on her neck.

“Gil we need to go, I don’t want to be late for my own graduation. Come on future doctor, make sure you grab the keys.” Anne reminds him, breaking away from his grip and goes to grab her purse and graduation gown, heading out of their bedroom. 

They have been living together for over a year now, at first Anne was a bit hesitant but the fact that there was a drawer of her things at his place it just made sense to move in together. Also the fact that Gilbert was starting med school, she thought it would be a better way to get to see him more, once school began for him. They decided to rent a small one bedroom apartment a bit farther from the city. It had a decent size kitchen and living room with the same coffee table from Gilbert’s place and Anne’s favorite part is the little nook they had with all of their books stacked, right next to the window with hung fairy lights and cushions. 

“Fine, but this isn’t over,” He shouts behind her and closes the door to their home.

The graduation ceremony had gone on for over an hour, from the speech from the president of the college and the guest speakers. It was finally time for the students to cross the stage. One by one each name being announced until Anne’s name was called out, the cheers from her family can be heard. She crossed the stage, shaking hands with the upper attendees and finally was handed her diploma. She officially graduated college, top of her class, high honors and a lined up job waiting for her. The class threw up their caps and Anne felt a wave of emotions rush over her. She ran to find her family and boyfriend, only to be greeted with Gilbert coming from behind her, picking her up and spinning her around. 

“You did it! Anne- girl, my girlfriend is now a college graduate and official copy editor for the daily publishing company.” He shouts out as loud as he can for others to hear.

“ Gilbert, you’re so damn loud I swear I could hear you from the parking lot.” Bash tells him, with Delly jumping up and down going straight for Anne. 

Anne was congratulated by her whole family, Matthew and Marilla with tears in their eyes, exclaiming how proud they were of her. Bash and Delly giving her a huge hug and a bouquet of sunflowers. Her friends grabbed her to take pictures and celebratory hugs. Anne and her loved ones all went out that night and celebrated her big accomplishment, and they had finally settled after the long dinner. One by one each family member heading on their way back home, until it was only just Anne and Gilbert left. 

“Let’s go take a walk in the park, let's walk off all the food we just freaking inhaled.” Gilbert suggested, holding his hand out towards her. 

“On one condition, I get to wear your hoodie” Anne tells him.

“Fine, go get it and then we go.” She doesn’t let him finish his sentence jumping up from their couch running to the room and coming out with his navy blue hoodie over her dress and her sneakers. She looked absolutely adorable. 

“I’m ready!” She squeals out and grabs his hand, heading out the apartment.

The walk to the park is peaceful, it’s dark and the sounds of crickets and people chatting can be heard. The smell of grass and water from the duck pond fill their senses, Anne is taking in the scenery around her. The stars are seen but all the light pollution makes it difficult to see it clearly, the dogs running around the park, the small kids playing tag and parents or friends sitting on the grass or benches talking. She loved this, she hoped to be able to have her family one day do the same. To play at the park and have picnics, she can see Gil being a wonderful father playing hide and seek with them or pushing their young ones on the swing. 

“Lets go sit there.” Gilbert said pointing to the bench right by the duck pond, her thought interrupted. Gilbert guiding the way to their destination. 

Both sitting down and Anne resting her head on his shoulder, looking at the scene in front of her.

“ It’s beautiful all of this,I can’t believe I graduated, and now it’s like I have to be an actual adult with an actual career, ready to seek the world.” Anne explains and she can feel Gilbert kiss her forehead.

“Am I in this great wide world of yours? Can I be there to help on your adventures and big endeavors?” She looks up at him, putting a hand to her chin pretending to think long and hard. 

“I think I can arrange that, are you sure you can handle this independent woman though? Can you handle my cranky attitude when I’m hungry or the very repetitive amount of Disney movies forever and ever? Can you bear that?” Anne sarcastically questioned Gilbert, playing with the strand of curl that she likes that always manages to have a mind of itself. 

She looked as beautiful as ever to him, and he wanted this, he wanted to be with her until his last breath, so he whispered to her with full confidence, “ Marry me, please” 

Anne stopped playing with his hair and looked at him, shocked as if she couldn't believe what he had just asked her.

“Gil? Did you just say what I think you said or was I imagining it?” She can feel her emotions start to bubble up.

Gilbert gets out of her grasp, kneeling down in front of her and says,“ Marry me, Anne. I want to be with you, only you. Forever and ever. We don’t have to get married right away, I just want to have people know that Anne Shirley Cuthbert will be mine. So, Anne-girl will you marry me?” 

All the flashbacks of their relationship hits her, it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies they argued but they always came back to each other. She was down right terrified but she wanted this.

“Yes, absolutely, of course, I will marry you.” She goes and tackles him with a short kiss, representing a million yes’s. Gilbert grabs the ring that he’s been holding for the past two months, it was his mother's green emerald placed delicately in the middle of a gold band. Placing it on her ring finger.

“ I love you” Anne cries out, looking at him and then the ring. It was beautiful, and it was just right for her.

“I love you more.” He gives her another kiss.

_Summer_

She had been feeling sick all week, dizzy spells, exhaustion and the case of feeling nausea. The smell of certain foods turned her off and made her run for the toilet immediately as she could. She told Gil it was just food poisoning and it would be better before she knows it. Her trying to fool a soon to be doctor was hard and she hoped he didn’t suspect anything like she had. Anne’s gut told her what was really happening, that woman's instinct turned on and she knew.

So here she is. Waiting three minutes for the blue and white stick to answer positive or negative. The moment that can change things in an instant. What if she wasn’t and this was all in her head? What if she was really having a bad case of food poisoning? Was she really ready to be a mother? She did want a family, but she was hoping at least after they were fully settled. Her phone rang signaling the end of the timer and Anne’s hands were shaking, looking down at what could be a moment to change their lives. She had looked and saw the word positive. “Oh fuck, fuck. No I gotta pee on another one at least just to make sure. Yea I’ll do that, no biggie. Oh fuck” Anne panicking to herself, unwrapping the other pregnancy test.Another three minutes later and the sound of a timer, the test was again positive. 

“I'm going to be a mom. Oh my god, I’m going to be a mom. But what will Gil say? He’s already so busy with school. We said we would start a family right after he finished. And he’s been so busy already, I rarely get to see him enough as it is.” Anne runs her hands through her hair, grasping her hands on the sides of the sink. Looking in the mirror and she can’t help but cry. She had to tell him. 

“Hey, what are you still doing up? It’s 2:30 in the morning, you should get some sleep” Gilbert goes to Anne to wrap his arms around her as she’s working on some work that she had been assigned. She tried to get distracted by her work, hoping she wouldn’t have to talk to him yet. 

“I just needed to finish the rest of this paper work,my boss sent it the last minute. How was school and the hospital.” Anne keeps her head down typing on her laptop , hoping he wouldn’t notice something was off.

“It was good, tiring but my professors and doctors think I can shadow soon, hopefully get placed soon in residency soon. Hey, are you okay?” Gilbert lightly turns Anne to face him, her eyes look puffy, rimmed with red, the color of her face washed out and tired. He knows something is wrong, she hasn’t been feeling well he knows that. But something tells him it’s more.

“Anne what’s wrong? You don’t look well, I don’t think it’s food poisoning like you said.” She starts to cry and looks down at her hands, her thumbs twiddling. 

“It’s just we have a lot that we have to get done. The bills, the wedding,trying to make sure we have time to see each other. It’s overwhelming.” She admits, she’s not lying, it’s just she doesn’t want to bring up the topic yet. 

“Anne, there’s something else. I know there is.” He goes to grab a hold of her hand, trying to get him to look at him.

“Gil, can we not do this right now. I’m saying we have other things more important than why I look like crap. I hardly see you anymore, when I'm sleeping you come home, when you’re sleeping I’m up and I have to go to work. You haven’t even started work and I can only imagine how it will be. We just feel so distant. I’m tired of eating alone some days or tired of not having you to talk with.” Anne admits and she knows it’s not their fault , but part of her feels like he will just leave at any moment. If she tells him she’s pregnant what if he resents her? She can't handle that. 

“What do you mean distant? Do you think I don’t care because I’m not here all the time?” He questions and like a fuse he knows they will erupt at any moment. He knows there’s something bothering her.

“ I didn’t say that. I didn’t say because you weren't here that you didn't care, I said I miss you, I said that I want to be able to go to sleep with you at the same time. Not go to bed to some empty space wishing you were there. I get lonely sometimes, yes I have our friends but Gilbert I want you to try and be here too. That’s all I am asking of you.” Anne raised her voice, it was straining and heard in the apartment.

“ Well I'm sorry I chose this profession, I’m not just doing this for me. I’m doing this for us too. To have a better life.” Gilbert raises his voice,letting go of her hands.

“I didn’t say you had to do this for us! Did I? She shouts and they are both standing in front of one another.

“ I want to do this for us, you know while we’re at it, why do you keep trying to shut me out huh? Why have you never told me this? You can’t expect me to always read your mind Anne, I’m not a psychic!” Gilbert shouts back and Anne walks away, trying to get some room between him and her. It was becoming suffocating. She knows this feeling of something too good to be true to soon end, to have someone leave taking another piece of her like a rag doll. 

“Maybe if you knew me better, then you wouldn’t have to worry about me shutting you out. Maybe if you tried and you were actually here more, I would get to talk to you instead of putting my walls up.” Anne is crying now and she is holding herself up as much as she could.

“ What do you mean? I don’t know you. That’s utter crap I know you better than anyone else. You know that, so don’t give me that line Anne. I spent years trying to shed that wall down. So you tell me now, What is really going on? ” Gilbert is pacing back and forth and trying to keep his tears from falling. 

“I’m pregnant!. So if you were planning to leave me. Here’s the perfect chance.” She motions to the front door and lets herself fall to her knees.

In truth, Anne was terrified of being a mother, of Gilbert not wanting anything to do with her once he found out. It wasn’t the first time someone she got close to, had decided she wasn’t worth their time. How could she be so sure that he wouldn’t change his mind and see her as the dirty orphan that makes everything she touches burn. Anne had to let him go before he had the chance to, it would hurt her less if she ended it before he did. No matter how much she loved him, she couldn’t have him resent her.

Gilbert goes towards her leaning down on his knees, pulling her in. Encasing her with his arms and she let’s those walls finally go and wails every pain and terrifying thought out. He stays there, holding her as long as she wants him to. Anne doesn’t know it but he’s crying too. Head resting on top of hers letting his anger out he had for himself, for making Anne feel this way.

“You’re pregnant?” Gilbert whispers and she pulls away looking at him, nose tinged red and eyes watered. Anne just nods in response.

“ I’m going to be a dad? And you’re going to be a mom?” He says out loud in disbelief. He can’t believe it, but it’s the best news he’s gotten his whole life, besides when Anne said she loved him or his niece being born.

“ I’m sorry, I know this isn’t what you wanted. You wanted to finish school first. I don't want you to resent me or the baby. I thought if you found out you would leave me” Anne’s voice is raspy from her cries.

Gilbert gets Anne to look at him, cupping her face and tells her, “Anne-girl I can never resent you nor will I ever leave you. When I said forever and ever, I meant it. I love you so damn much that it hurts, I’m not leaving. We fought yes, but that doesn’t mean I will walk away. We probably just need to work on our communication skills more.” They both laugh.

“ What about the baby?” Anne softly asks.

“ I’m more than excited to have this baby, to have a mini you run around that’s all I could have dreamed of.” Gilbert kisses Anne, it’s slow and sweet, their lips savoring each second they can get until they part and rest each other’s forehead against one another.

“ I think I prefer a mini you instead, imagine a tiny Gilbert with a head of curls and the cutest eyes. He’d be a mini heart breaker for sure.” Anne giggles at the thought and Gilbert groans imagining a mini him with Anne’s personality hitting people with books on their head.

“ As long as you and our baby will always be mine.” He nudges her nose with his.

“You are the best thing that has ever been mine, Gilbert Blythe.” Both smile and hold on to one another, giving a small kiss. Both with visions of their future dancing in their heads.

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of the longest story's Iv'e written, but it was fun to write something based on a song. Keep in mind I do not know anything about doctors or stuff like that. I winged that,but I hope you guys liked it, enjoyed it or the story made you smile or cry . Honestly any emotions I got out from you guys, I will be proud. Also big thanks to Bekah, @Awae_Kindred for being supportive through this process.  
> Okay see ya soon!


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